The Honourable President
Dr. Jacques Rogge
International Olympic Committee
Château de Vidy
1007 Lausanne
Switzerland
Tel: (41.21) 621 61 11
Fax: (41.21) 621 62 16
18 January 2008

Re: Disgraceful Behaviour and Blatant Discrimination by the World Karate Federation

"Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles."
Olympic Charter, Fundamental principles, paragraph 2

Dear Dr. Rogge,

Allow us to express our sincere greeting and wishes for the New Year. We pray that the 2008 Olympic Games will be the greatest in the history of sport and will be the greatest moment for the Olympic Movement.

The Olympic Committee and Movement are the ultimate destination for any sportsperson and a dream for every athlete. It stands for fairness and it has always stood for good human values. It has especially stood and continues to stand firm against racial discrimination and gross human rights abuses of any from and especially in sport. We as sport loving people and those that have sacrificed our time and life to develop sport, like you have, aspire to be like those that represent the IOC in every corner of the globe. The people you select are regarded as honourable and role models in their countries, on their continents and especially while representing the IOC in the various capacities they do.

It was this very Olympic Movement that played a laudable role in dismantling the horrible practice of apartheid and expelled racist South Africa for not changing their evil and unjust ways. The first President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela in his speech during is trial in 20 April 1964 stated from the dock at Pretoria court ” During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die” This is a very powerful statement that has guided us as discriminated and down trodden Africans for years and it is words like these that motivate us to continue the fight against the evils of this world. In all this, we have always respected the ideals and principles of the Olympic Movement. Today we stand proud to see our African brothers like Sam Ramsamy, occupying A prominent position in the IOC.

We write to you Mr. President to bring to youR attention an act that is threathening to take us back to the dark days of apartheid in sports, this act was performed by the President of the World Karate Federation and some of his associates during the 9th All Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria, in July 2007.

When President Nelson Mandela made his inaugural speech in 1994 he stated “Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.
Let freedom reign.
The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement!”

These words have has continuously reverberated in our quest to attain freedom from our oppressors and to vigorously develop Africa through sportS. African Karate was previously regarded as mediocre and was ridiculed by those countries that thought that they own this noble sport. Karate is not owned by anyone nation but rather is a universal sport that is vital for today’s youth. The sport in its traditional form is noted for its character building, respect, discipline and human development quality. But what is most important in this noble sport is the development of self and communities.

And what happened in Algiers is threathening to take African karate back to the dark ages. It cannot be condoned and has to be challenged in the strongest possible was, if we are to keep the values of karate intact, and continue to aspire for karate to become an Olympic sport.

Mr. President allow us to attach a report (enclosed below) written by our Secretary General, Dr. Jack Mbom who highlights the disgraceful actions overseen by the President of the World Karate Federation and his cronies. These acts have throughly destroyed the image of our sport in Africa. Since 1994 we have tried very hard to develop karate values and skillsin our youth and practitioners. We managed in 13 years to increase the AFRICAN NATIONAL KARATE FEDERATIONS affiliated to the World Karate Federation, from 7 to 42 NATIONAL FEDERATIONS. This success was used in the submission by the World Karate Federation to convince the IOC to re-instate its provional recognition, which was withdrawn in 1996 and attained the full recognition they enjoy today. We had 2 great African athletes win world Gold medals and THEY REMAIN THE ONLY ONES TO ACHIEVE THIS FEAT TO DATE. Aly Ndiaye a Senegalese karate-ka won the prestigious World kumite title in 2000 and Sandra Ferreira a South African won the first medal in 1994. Ever since the liberation of our sport we have had an African Championship every year with our standards improving every year. Participation has increased and the youth started taking up the sport in numbers.

So delivery is not an issue. The simple conclusion we can arrive at is that the World Karate Federation is bent on destroying the enormous work done to unite and develop African Karate, AS WELL AS INCREASINGLY BUILD THE CAPACITY OF AFRICANS TO PARTICIPATE AT INTERNATIONAL FORA.

THE AFRICAN KARATE CONFEDERATION is yet to receive this far, any assistance or grant from the World Karate Federation from the days of the then WUKO to date with the WKF. From 1975 to date, we have not had any single qualified World Referee. All referees appointed on the WKF Referees Committee are appointed unilaterally; no consultation is even considered with the continental union. Those that represent Africa on the WKF are approved by the World Karate Federation. The democratic practice as we know it is throughly disregarded by the WKF and the ideals of the Olympic Movement and the Olympic Charter totally ignored.

How then can an organization like the World Karate Federation which is run in a way that wholly negates the laudable principles of Olympism, ever consider admission into the Olympic Games where we are all equals, who aspire to run faster, fly higher and perform better in a spirit of unity, fairness and sportmanship?.

We defintely thank that there is a need for a larger concerted effort to look into the modus operandi of the WKF as well as the character of its principal officers, to ensure that the principles of olympism are applied, and fair play, decorum and cencertation restored.

Kindly peruse Mr. President the attached report of the Secretary General of the Union of African Karate Federation (UFAK) on the karate events at the July 2007, 9th All Africa Games, for further insight into the unspeakable behaviour of the WKF President and his associates.


The Report by Dr. Jack Mbom, Secretary General of
the Union of African Karate Federations

The All Africa Games have come and gone, and it is time to reflect over what transpired during the said games with a view to drawing lessons for the future of African Sports. The games were a sham, if what happened in the Karate competitions and the fake elective congress held by Mesbahi, Espinos and their cohorts is any thing to go by. From the beginning, the Algerian Karate Federation and COJA had decided to transgress the rules and organize the All Algerian Games, instead of the All Africa Games. They had a Game Plan. Win the UFAK Board Room politics by all means, and then extend same to the Karate competition arena.

For this, they used panoply of strategies: Enticement, Restraint, Blackmail, Containment, Disruption, and outright Physical Coercion.

Enticement

The Algerian Karate Federation President, Tahir Mesbahi sent his 1st and 2nd Vice-Presidents to Johannesburg, South Africa, in June 2007, to entice the current UFAK President, Imtiaz Abdulla, to surrender the UFAK Presidency to him at the Ordinary General Assembly, during the 9th All Africa Games, in return for cash and honours.

The childish story line was that the Algerian President is terminally ill. They need to offer him the parting gift of the UFAK Presidency for Algeria, and are ready to pay what it takes.

Restraint

In total disregard for the 9th All Africa Games Protocol of Agreement, Chap. 3, Sect.1, Art. 28C, which stipulates that the COJA must provides International and local transportation, as well as Accommodation and Feeding for members of the various African Sports Confederations on the List of the said Confederations Officials to the Games, COJA refused to send air tickets to the members of UFAK List of Officials to the Games, planning to prevent them from attending the Games, so that the Algerian Karate Federation can have a field day.

Enticement 2

The President of the Algerian Karate Federation, Tahir Mesbahi personally, together with his 1st and 2nd VP proceeded to entice some principal officers of the UFAK Executive Committee, promising them money, women, etc., and when they encountered utter failure, they resorted to blackmail.

Blackmail

They withdrew their local transportation which had to be rearranged by Mr. Sonstone Y. Kashiba; and threatened to throw them out of the hotel accommodation, and the like.

Containment

The President of the Algerian Karate Federation used the police and security men, to physically prevent delegates from attending the continuation of the UFAK Ordinary General Assembly at the Hotel Mercure, on July 15, in the evening, and it took the personal intervention of Mr. Sonstone Y. KASHIBA, Secretary General of the SCSA and UCSA, to rescue them and get them to be allowed into the hotel with him for the meeting.

Disruption

Mr. Tahir Mesbahi physically disrupted the Referee Course, preventing the Algerian delegates from paying the UFAK Referee Certification fees, misrepresenting the Algerian Government with false information that the Government had promised to pay the said fees later. And he disrupted the Karate competitions and prevented UFAK officials from carrying out their statutory responsibilities.

Physical Coercion

Mr. Mesbahi used the police and security men to arrest the UFAK Chairman of the Referee Commission, eject him manu militari from the competition area, and try to detain him.

All the above shenanigans were a show of shame of unspeakable proportions, which was more reminiscent of Gestapo and quasi terrorism-antics, than of the hospitality that was expected of our Algerian counterparts, as hosts of the All Africa Games.

The UFAK Boardroom Drama

The above was just part one of a two parts evolving epic. The other part was less physical, but no less dramatic.

We would like to put things in perspective for easier appreciation. So we will go back a bit to present a fuller picture.

Mr. Espinos, the President of the WKF has been desperately trying for quite a while without success, to remove Mr. Imtiaz Abdulla, the President of UFAK, and replace him with his own man. At the last UFAK Elections in Luanda, Angola in August 2005, one of his men stood against Imtiaz for UFAK President, and lost the elections with 3 votes against 15 for Imtiaz. His other man was present, took part in the elective congress activities, and duly voted for Imtiaz.

But in a dramatic twist, it is not the one who stood and lost the elections, but the one who voted for Imtiaz, who, out of nowhere, with the support of Mr. Espinos, pulled a fictitious UFAK Provisional Executive Committee from his hat, and declared himself its head.
Of course this was a little too big a piece to make the Africans swallow, and Mr. Espinos despite all the drama, could not have his way no matter how hard he tried.

This time around, the situation was ideal. Algeria was hosting the All Africa Games; Tahar Mesbahi, the President of the Algerian Karate Federation was desperate to become President of UFAK by all means; and he had the full backing of the powers that be.
Mr. Espinos could not contain his excitement. In May 2007, he wrote to the Secretary General of the SCSA and UCSA asking him to do his bidding, or he will come to Algiers and do it himself.

So, an unholy alliance was sealed between Mesbahi and Espinos. And come the 9th All Africa Games, Mr. Espinos and his kitchen cabinet arrived in Algiers with pomp and pageantry, all expenses paid for, to preside over the UFAK coup d’état. And as all coup d’etat, it was expedient, but illegal and of no effect whatsoever, for the simple reason that legal statutes are the sine qua non frameworks and guidelines for all lawful institutional processes.

Mr. Espinos and company did not bother to follow due process, because firstly no amount of acrobatics would have enabled them to do so. So they decided to temporary invent their own rules in total disregard of the SCSA, UFAK and even the WKF statutory provisions, hoping to pull a screen over the eyes of all the Africans. But unfortunately for them, we are neither blind nor dumb.

Now, kindly permit me to draw your attention to all the illegalities they perpetrated with regards to the SCSA, the UFAK and even the WKF statutes.

Convening an OGA and an EEC

The UFAK Ordinary General Assembly was lawfully called according to UFAK statutory provisions, on July 12, 2007 as reflected in the 3rd Joint Meeting Schedule of Programs. It was scheduled as a General Information Congress. The proceedings were adjourned and

It was decided that a continuation of the said proceedings will take place on July 15, to attend to the Agenda points that were not treated at the first meeting.

On July 15 in the morning, the Espinos party decided to call their own continuation of the OGA, in total disregard of Chap. 5, Art. 13, 15 and 16 of the UFAK statutes and Art. 12.3 and 12.9 of the WKF statutes which stipulate that only the Executive Committee through the President can cause the Secretary General to call an Ordinary General Assembly. Consequently, theirs was an exercise in nullity.

In addition, the July 15 Ordinary General Assembly was a continuation of the July 12 OGA, with the same agenda. They made theirs an Extraordinary Elective Congress, in total disregard of UFAK constitution Chap. 5, Art. 23 and the WKF constitution, Art. 12.28 (provisions for convening an Extraordinary Congress).

Furthermore, the WKF constitution, Art. 12.1 stipulates that the Congress shall only decide on matters included on the agenda. Definitely, elections and anything else they discussed were not included in the agenda of the Ordinary Informative General Assembly. Another illegality.

And finally, UFAK Elective Congresses hold statutorily every four years. The last one was held in Luanda, Angola in August 2005. The next one will hold in 2009, at a venue yet to be determined by the UFAK Executive Committee. So the mandate of the UFAK Executive Committee elected in Angola will expire in 2009. Consequently their elections were an exercise in nullity.

Deliberative and Voting Rights

Chap. 1, Section 1, Art 6. of the SCSA General Rules for the 9th All Africa Games, Algiers; Art. 21 and 23 of the UFAK Constitution and Art. 10.1 and 12.21 of the WKF Constitution specifically stipulate that only delegates whose national member federations have paid up their financial obligations and are thus in good standing have deliberative and voting rights. The standing of the countries that held a fake Extraordinary Elective Congress in Algiers is as follows:

Algeria is owing UFAK from 1999 to 2007. Has not participated in any UFAK activities since 1999, and according to the UFAK constitution, is no longer a UFAK member.

Morocco has not paid up its contributions since the inception of UFAK. Not a UFAK member.

Tunisia is owing UFAK from 1999 to 2007. Not a UFAK member.

Libya has never paid up its contribution to UFAK. Not a UFAK member.

Congo is owing UFAK for three years now. Has no deliberative and voting rights.

Gabon is owing for 2005, 2006 and 2007. No deliberative and voting rights.

Mali is owing for 2006 and 2007. Still has deliberative and voting rights.

Senegal is owing for 2006 and 2007. Still has deliberative and voting rights.

Togo has never paid its contributions to UFAK. Not a UFAK member.

Niger has never paid its contributions to UFAK. Not a UFAK member.

Ivory Coast is owing for 2005, 2006 and 2007. Has lost her deliberative and voting rights.

Benin is owing for 2005, 2006 and 2007. Has lost her deliberative and voting rights.

Democratic Republic of Congo has not paid up its contributions since 1999. No more a member of UFAK.

Chad has never paid her contributions. Not a member of UFAK.

Cameroon owes for 2005, 2006 and 2007. Has no deliberative and voting rights.

Madagascar has not paid up since 1997. Has no deliberative rights and is no more a member of UFAK.

The Egypt Karate Federation President is Mansour Zaher, a member of UFAK EC. He was with us all the time. So El Dahrawy did not lawfully represent Egypt at the illegal meeting.

Mauritania has not paid up since 1998. Has no deliberative rights and is no more a member of UFAK.

As we can see from the above table, only about two of the countries (Senegal and Mali) which took part in the illegal Extraordinary Elective Congress had deliberative and voting rights. Benin and Congo supposedly elected for secretary general and treasurer have no voting rights. Algeria supposedly elected for president is not even a member of UFAK, talk less of having voting rights.
Barely 10% of the delegates at the infamous EEC had deliberative and voting rights. Another exercise in nullity.

Nomination of Candidates for Elective Posts

The WKF constitution, Art. 10.3, 10.6 and 12.13 and the UFAK constitution, Art. 21 stipulate the time and other requirements for the nomination of candidates to elective offices. None of these requirements were followed.

The Participation Clause

The WKF constitution Art. 2.1 and 2.3 stipulate that the constitutions of its constituents must be similar to its own. It’s Art. 12.21 has a participation clause that reads: “No delegate will be eligible to stand for elections in the WKF, if his national federation has not taken part in WKF programs in two years”. Algeria has not taken part in any UFAK program for eight years. So according to the WKF participation clause, no Algerian is eligible to be voted for in any elective post in any WKF affiliated body. Another exercise in nullity for the coup makers.

Candidates Offering Incentives

The WKF constitution, Art. 12.15 forbids candidates from attempting to procure votes by offering incentives to delegates. Any such candidates forfeit their eligibility for candidacy to the office sought. Mesbahi not only publicly solicited for votes for the UFAK Presidency before and throughout the All Africa Games and the OGA, but he even resorted to blackmail, intimidation and outright threats. So if it were to be a lawfully convened UFAK elective congress and the Algeria Karate Federation was still a UFAK member and it was in good standing, he would have been disqualified from contesting as a result of his illegal antics.

The Impartiality of the UCSA President Doubtful

We came to realize that what Mesbahi did in Algeria during the 9th All Africa Games was orchestrated will the Algerian Sports powers that be. Mr. Larfaoui had the knowledge of and gave tacit support to what went on. Consequently, we find his impartiality on this issue to say the least, very doubtful.

The Karate Competitions at the All Africa Games Not Endorsed by UFAK

Reports were received from the UFAK Referees and Organizing Commissions that the Algerian Karate Federation and COJA had sabotaged the competition by refusing to release the entry forms from participating countries and disrupting the draws and the weighing-in. In addition, the Algerian Karate Federation had broken the rules of the competition by not conforming to the weighing-in rules and weighing their athletes 2 hours after the cut off time, using a different scale than the one used for the rest of the competitors.

Furthermore, Mesbahi had the Chairman of the UFAK Referee Commission, Meissa Dia forcibly evicted from the competition arena, arrested and threatened with detention.

He proceeded to divest all UFAK organs from the responsibility of running the Karate events, contrary to the SCSA General Rules for the 9th All Africa Games, Chap. 2, Sect. 1, Art. 13 which stipulates that “The technical organization of every sport is the responsibility of the respective African Sport Confederation...” and appointed his own competition officials in total disregard for the UFAK and SCSA rules, with the active support of the WKF President and its Secretary General.

Consequently, UFAK cannot authenticate the results, and regards these competitions as friendly championships, and not as an official competitive event of UFAK.


In conclusion
After going through the litany of illegalities perpetrated by the WKF against the stipulations of their own statutes, in collaboration with the Mesbahi group and the COJA during the All Africa Games in Algiers 2007, we can only conclude that their behaviour was shameful, unspeakable and unacceptable. Their tactics smacked of sports brigandage and quasi-terrorism. And this is definitely an example of what not to do in future All Africa Games.

We suggest that the SCSA fully take its responsibility to ensure that never again such a shameful episode in African sports will repeat itself. And that all well meaning stakeholders denounce and condemn the abuse of hosting rights by the Algerians, and the unspeakable shenanigans, hypocrisy and double standards of the WKF.

The present leadership of the WKF should eschew their cowboy attitude and learn to respect the rule of law and lead by example, or else they do not deserve to lead World Karate into the Olympic Movement. And UFAK reserves itself the right to review its membership of a WKF, which without our continental membership, will cease to be the World Karate Federation to become an International Karate Federation.

End
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Mr. President, we appeal to you as the leader of sport in the world, to assist the millions of African karate practitioners to regain their dignity, and pride and until they have this intact the International Olympic Committee should not give the World Karate Federation any chance to be part of the Olympic Games. It will be a shame if they succeed and it will be a sad day if these evil and disgraceful people succeed. The IOC has made so many poor and disowned African proud by giving them an equal chance in participating in the greatest event in the world and some of them have won, improving their lives. Don’t tarnish this with the inclusion of karate which in our opinion will destroy the good work done over all these years.

Mr. President you are a man of great vision, wisdom and judgement and we believe what ever decision you or the IOC make will be in the best interest of the peoples of the world.

Allow me to thank you on behalf of all sportsmen and women in African for the great work you are doing and ask the Almighty to give you strength and wisdom to do more in improving the lives of all people of the world and create a better live for all. In this time in our history when conflict is prevalent everywhere the Olympic Movement is one flame that burn bright as a quest for all people all over for peace, fairness and aspirations, don’t allow this to be lost.

Kind Regards,

Imtiaz Abdulla
President

UNION OF AFRICA KARATE FEDERATIONS (UFAK)
President: Imtiaz Abdulla
P O Box 324, Tel: +27 11 6152538
Bruma 2026 +27 11 507 5179 (fax)
South Africa E-mail: iabdulla@netactive.co.za
Website: http://www.africankarate.netfirm.com
Mobile: +27829045450